By Glenn Judah
The former president of Wal-Mart, Jack C. Shewmaker, gave Flagler College students and community members a look into his views on leadership, business, and how not to fail on Feb. 23. Shewmaker, a highly sought-after national speaker, was asked to speak at Flagler College by Flagler’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE).
“Leadership is not about establishing rules and regulations. Leadership is about getting a group of people together to accomplish something,” Shewmaker said.
He said to be good in anything like business, a person can’t worry about their own success, but the success of everyone else around them. Shewmaker credits Wal-Mart’s success to this style of leadership endorsed by Sam Walton, the massive retailer’s founder.
Shewmaker said Walton’s philosophy on business was to ask questions not to just upper management, but all employees, customers and even Wal-Mart’s competition.
“Most of the good ideas that helped create Wal-Mart didn’t come from Sam, or me, they came from employees and customers,” Shewmaker said.
Shewmaker was a founding member of the SIFE organization and has been a judge each year at the national and international competitions.
“I saw the same leadership of Sam Walton in the Flagler SIFE team,” Shewmaker said.
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